President Obama abruptly walks out of talks — President Barack Obama abruptly walked out of a stormy debt-limit meeting with congressional leaders Wednesday, a dramatic setback to the already shaky negotiations, according to GOP sources. — “He shoved back and said 'I'll see you tomorrow' and walked out …

No yelling at Obama today — Carney reminded journalists, “I used to be where you are, and I used to ask questions.” — AP Photo — A long-running tiff between the White House press corps and the West Wing over presidential access flared anew today when press secretary Jay Carney faced off …

Obama Warns Cantor 'Don't Call My Bluff' As Debt Talks Stall … WASHINGTON — Lawmakers and the White House had what nearly every party is describing as a “tough” and “testy” meeting on the debt ceiling Wednesday afternoon, culminating in a stormy exchange between President Obama and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.).

Debt talks blow up — Twenty days left and counting, the August debt ceiling showdown broke along two fronts Wednesday: the political forces of 2010 vs. 2012 and the shape and pace of tax reform in this Congress or the next. — House Republicans, who owe their majority to the 2010 elections …

Alan Simpson: ‘No Hope’ of Debt Ceiling Agreement — Former Sen. Alan Simpson (R., Wyo.), who co-chaired the White House's deficit reduction panel last year, said he has lost hope the White House and Congress will be able to reach a deal to raise the debt ceiling by Aug. 2.

Graham: GOP has no one ‘to blame but ourselves’ — South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham conceded Wednesday that he and his fellow Republicans are now eating their own words as they try to convince the country they are working to stave off a federal default. — “Our problem is we made a big deal about this for three months.

Maid's ‘Fiancé’ Speaks — A call with an Arizona inmate tarnished the case of Strauss-Kahn's accuser. The man, who says he's the maid's fiancé, gives his side of the story to The Daily Beast. — One of the most important and controversial characters in the complicated …

Manning-Lamo Chat Logs Revealed — A little more than a year ago, Wired.com published excerpts from instant messenger chats between accused WikiLeaks source Bradley Manning and Adrian Lamo, the ex-hacker in whom he confided and who reported him to the authorities.

The Debt Debate's Real Doomsday Scenario — On Tuesday, in the late morning, I asked a banker to explain what will happen if the debt ceiling is not raised on August 2. He was not just any banker; he was and is the authority on the U.S. bond market at one of the biggest banks in the world.

The Republican Case for Compromise — I HAVE always been a conservative Republican, and I subscribe to the ideas of less government, lower taxes, innovation and entrepreneurship. But I also believe that, in the face of a possible debt default by the federal government, Republicans need to embrace the principle of compromise.

The Kenneth Gladney Charade Collapses — It took a St. Louis County jury less than 50 minutes to return a not guilty verdict in the assault trial featuring Kenneth Gladney and two union members who were charged with attacking him outside a two hall event during the tumultuous summer of 2009.

Time is of the essence, any US budget deal will do — As the debt negotiators square off in Congress, much attention will focus on the size of the 10-year budget deal they come up with. As almost everyone agrees, there is much more risk of doing too little than too much given the scale of America's fiscal challenge.

The Bain of Mitt Romney's campaign — A company that laid off hundreds of employees. A federal “bailout” to rescue a failing bank. Mitt Romney, at the center of it all. — It's a story line from a tough Democratic ad that was teed up for use against Romney in his 1994 Senate campaign in Massachusetts.